Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Those of you who don’t know the world-class artist and conspiracy theorist, hints of his exploits can be found in many of our previously released Nancy Drew titles, such as Danger by Design or Ransom of the Seven Ships. You may even have his wallpaper on your desktop. This year we thought it would be a great idea to take Sonny from out of the shadows and give him his own game. With his knowledge of aliens and love of KoKo Kringle he’ll travel the stars in search of adventure and fun!

What can you expect in the Sonny Joon Adventure Series? Well you’ll get to play with fantastical creatures, escape from mundane desk jobs, and create your very own doodles in Sonny’s travel journal. We’ll be bringing Sonny’s world right into your PC! Who knows what kind of trouble he’ll get into next!

Now I know many of you don't know exactly what the offices here look like. Maybe you've been able to form a sort of picture based on the various photos we've posted over the years. But I imagine many of you probably don't know your way around. So I was slightly surprised to see the following map.

I'm going to give you the brass tacks on this... it in no way reflects the layout of our offices at all. Amusingly an employee left this at the front desk as instructions for the UPS (per writing on it). Though I'd wager more than a cookie that said mail carrier never arrived at the given destination.

It may not be the most valid of set-ups, but this does represent the week at large. Slack instructions. We've been determined to continue efforts on all fronts, but after the glee of a GM (in this case, TOT) dies down, the office moves a touch slower. People find spaces to work in peace, and it's that kind of a day, with many in "work bubbles." Still, there are good things happening. I've seen new packaging designs, talked some shop with the ND23 design team, and got to see some preliminary footage of the TOT Teaser (I know, finally, right?)

Entries for the art contest are coming in slower now. Don't forget that we're accepting both photographs (of you) and artwork you've created! Many people have entered only one or the other. We're offering two chances to get in, you don't want to miss out. ^.~

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

2. It's common.
An old saying for sure, but this one is about [ common sense. ] Again with the [ homophone ] replace the missing word with [ ¢ (the sign for cents) ]

3. If you said this was a necessary piece, I might think you had misread it.
Yet more wordplay [ ∫ is a sign for the mathematical concept of integrals,] often pronounced as [ integral, a synonym for necessary or required ]

4. Opposite of the beginning.
Easily solved; the opposite of beginning is [ end ] often denoted by [ Ω, the sign of omega. ]

5. Apples, Cherries, and Pecans.
These three have something in common, they're all [ pies, or in this case π (pi) ]

6. And 'lo we did feast.
A fancy way of saying [ ate, a homophone of the number, 8 ]

7. What we put between Bread and Butter.
What we put there was [ the word "and" ] which can be seen as a tile with this symbol [ & ]

8. Not exactly the sign for where a catcher stands...
A tad tricky, but a catcher stands on [ a base ]. Following the theme of the puzzle, you'll notice a [ bass clef (homophone) ] which isn't exactly the right sign.

9. Used to be.
You could say it's the former, or [ an "ex",] which is represented by the [ X ] tile.

10. (This step is its own hint.)
This means the hint is [ 10 ] which is [ X in Roman numerals ]

11. How you begin Calculations.
Calculations always begins with [ a "C" ].

12. Forever sideways
Forever can also be written as [ ∞ ] which, if turned sideways looks more like an [ 8 ]

Now [ mark off all of the tiles ] and looks at your work. Notice what you've got? [ 17 ]. Now back to our original question, "Which game?" Well there's only one answer here:
[ Legend of the Crystal Skull ]

--

Excellent work detectives! This is indeed the game of the month for April! So keep your eyes peeled for specials and downloads centered around it. I've got to say, it is one of my personal favorites. ^.~

Warning, spoilers ahead! You'll find the steps to solving puzzle 46 below. Huge props to those who worked on this puzzle. Here we go...

-- Puzzle 46 Answer --

Odds often move to the very end
Now evens to the front we will send
Last to the front and the front to the last
Round the center they spin one time real fast
Allow one five, three four, six seven, five six swapped
Just what do you have, now that you have stopped?
Until three is reached run forward not back

Your best bet is to [ letter-mark each sentence ] and then follow the instructions [ on each line ]. Here's what it should look like.

-
A. Odds often move to the very end
B. Now evens to the front we will send
C. Last to the front and the front to the last
D. Round the center they spin one time real fast
E. Allow one five, three four, six seven, five six swapped
F. Just what do you have, now that you have stopped?
G. Until three is reached run forward not back-

Next is to follow the instructions [ move every other line to the back, starting with the first one ] you end up with:

-
1. B
2. D
3. F
4. A
5. C
6. E
7. G-

The next step is [ moving the even lines. ] Notice how they've all been reorganized, so use the new organization to determine [ which ones to move. ] Be sure to keep the order they're pulled in:

-
1. D
2. A
3. E
4. B
5. F
6. C
7. G-

Now, [ spin the letters around the middle one. ] This gives you:

-
1. G
2. C
3. F
4. B
5. D
6. A
7. E-

For this step, make sure you [ perform each move individually, not simultaneously.] If you do this, you'll end up with:
-
1. C
2. A
3. G
4. D
5. B
6. E
7. F-

Now the command instructs us to [ swap the first and last lines, ] easily done:

-
1. F
2. A
3. G
4. D
5. B
6. E
7. C-

This next instruction let's us know [ we are looking for a final clue with this set up. ] Scan the list and see if you notice the answer... [ The first letters of the sentences spell a word. ]

So the final answer is:
[ Journal ]

--

So, that seems like a rather non-descript kind of answer. And while that might be true, I'd also like to point out that it has a great deal to do with a release we're planning for later this year. While "mum" is still the word, I can at least tell you that it's something you'll want to keep an eye out for. ^.~

Monday, March 29, 2010

I've been promised intel. Vague as it may be, it plucks defiantly at the "curiosity string" running from toes to frontal lobe. Plus it sounds all "James Bond-esque" which I can totally get behind. (We all are fans of snooping, are we not?) I'm going to guess it is TOT related, but I suppose I'll find that out when you do. Still, the TOT spoilers have been a long time coming, so I'm relishing when the floodgates open and we're wading deep in Press Releases.

So it looks like both puzzles have reached a state of "solvéd-ness." Which you can take to mean they've reached the apex of "solvability," where answers abound and you're give a choice of which camp's hypothesis you choose to support. I'm going to do two separate posts tomorrow, one for each puzzle, detailing out the steps involved. I've got to say though, I really enjoyed watching you all work through both of them. Kudos!

Friday, March 26, 2010

Directions:
Use the clues with the board.
Each clue equals only one tile.
Some clues equal the same tile.

1. Seven Sailed.
2. It's common.
3. If you said this was a necessary piece, I might think you had misread it.
4. Opposite of the beginning.
5. Apples, Cherries, and Pecans.
6. And 'lo we did feast.
7. What we put between Bread and Butter.
8. Not exactly the sign for where a catcher stands...
9. Used to be.
10. (This step is its own hint.)
11. How you begin Calculations.
12. Forever sideways

Thursday, March 25, 2010

I've gone over many of the questions (commented) on the contest. So if you're looking for answers, that's a good place to start. As mentioned earlier, Wednesday was a bit of a busy day, and I missed my cues for blogging... I owe you a picture of the week. Any suggestions?

As for the news in the office, I talked to Artist Kris to get the inside track. Straight from her brain, here's the Blurb of the Week:

This week I’ve been researching a variety of visual elements for ND23. I’m very excited about this right now because I’ve been looking at all sorts of cute little animals for the better part of a day. And then I get to figure out how to translate that into game visuals for me and the rest of the artists to create. I mean, what better way to lift your spirits than to look up tons of pictures of tiny, fluffy kitties all day long.

Now that’s just not even fair. I’ve been writing boring documents for hours and she gets to check out cute and cuddly animals... some people have all the luck. ^.~

I've left a hint for the puzzlers in the post below. You'll still find a new one on deck tomorrow, but don't stop working. You've come pretty close, and I'd love for you to finish it up. Either way, I'll be stopping by tomorrow. Cheers!

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Tuesday is rolling along. We've been looking expertly at TOT to insure it's ESRB review will go swimmingly. I can't imagine it being any other way. There's always so much work to be done once production has put their "seal of approval" on a game. There's post-mortem meetings (as discussed yesterday) and archiving, plus all the new work for the next projects. Besides, marketing doesn't even begin to ramp up until we've got a product in our hands. :P Speaking of which, I've seen my co-workers musing over packaging of various sorts, some for TOT, some for other mysteries...

It looks like there is a short stall on the puzzle. I asked Designer Ben stop by and offer a bit of advice. Check it out below.

- Puzzle 46 Hint -

"Follow each sentence, step by step."

--

Oh and I've got a myriad of comments to reply to. I've put it on my list of things to get accomplished, so you'll be hearing my voice again soon (so to speak... or not as it were.) Enjoy the rest of your day!

Monday, March 22, 2010

Welcome to the week! We hope your visit here is a pleasant one... in fact I'm quite sure it will be, "All signs point to yes!" So let's see if I can glimpse into this week's schedule...

I've heard rumors of the beginnings of ND23... though I'm reluctant to give them any form. With TOT hot on our heels, I'd hate to divert your attention. And again I'm given assurances of tantalizing TOT news in the coming weeks... dates are still fuzzy though...

If you've been keeping up with the blogs, and newsletters, and various other media outlets we command, then you're probably aware of the contest going on. So far I've seen a lovely display of pictures and artwork. This is the kind of thing we crave people! I love it! If you're lost by this paragraph, a good waypoint is here.

Now is the time of post-production. We're closing the book on TOT and discussing all the things we've done right (and wrong!). If you didn't know any better, you'd think our company was just a bunch of people who have ludicrously long meetings... though it pains me to say, these things help us succeed. The real magic does happen outside those doors, but we need to sit and let the ideas coalesce into something tangible. Prestidigitation is all well and good for pomp and circumstance, but quite impractical for a pragmatic world, particularly one with such keen-eyed sleuths. These "post" meetings help us refine the creation process, so that each game can improve on the last one... is it working? I suppose that question is best left answered by you. ^.~

Friday, March 19, 2010

I hope everyone has had a good week. We'll certainly be enjoying a break this weekend. *fingers crossed for sun* Here's some brain-training for the next few days!

-- Puzzle 46 --

Odds often move to the very end
Now evens to the front we will send
Last to the front and the front to the last
Round the center they spin one time real fast
Allow one five, three four, six seven, five six swapped
Just what do you have, now that you have stopped?
Until three is reached run forward not back

Thursday, March 18, 2010

The newsletter should be working its way through cyberspace just about now. Also you've undoubtedly learned about the current contest, and everyone should definitely enter. I know there's bound to be a million questions, so just fire away as you see fit. I'll try to stay on the up-and-up with ya.

This week has been a touch crazy, so I've stopped by to ask our Production Lead Anne about all the goings on in the office. Check out the Blurb of the Week below:

This week has been just exciting. We've finished up all of our bugs, early even! And we’re just about to start the final build of TOT. Of course this also means that we're about to be overrun with meetings. But until then, we get to work on the pre-production of ND23! Well, it’s more like the “Pre-pre-production."

Sounds like I'm not the only one working up a storm. Let's hope next week is a touch easier. ^.~

You've got a puzzle headed this way tomorrow. Stop by if you get the chance.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

I'm running a bit behind, what with the super contest news! So here's just a few things. Newsletter is definitely tomorrow! Also be sure to check the contest posting for all the information! Lastly Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Cya tomorrow!

After viewing all the excellent art submissions from our last contest we’ve decided that we want more of it! We’re running another contest to gather up some brand new creations to be placed in another release this year. We want to fill all the nooks and crannies we can with fan-created artwork, so here’s your chance to be a part of a classic Nancy Drew case!

This contest is open to anyone; young or old, near or far. There are two categories to enter, and you can submit entries for both categories. However you may only enter each of them once:

PHOTOS (due April 19th):
Strike a pose and snap that perfect picture. For this category, submit your best “yearbook-styled” photo of yourself. Photos may be mailed in or submitted digitally via email.

• Should a portrait picture.
• Photos must contain only you.

ARTWORK (due April 19th):
Create artwork inspired by Nancy Drew or the Nancy Drew games. Drawings, paintings, and anything else you can think of are allowed, just be sure to follow these few simple rules!

• Submissions must be scanned in and emailed or physically mailed via the postal system.
• Digitally created images may be emailed.
• The person submitting the work must be the creator of it.
• The artwork must contain no text.

Submissions will be accepted in both categories until April 19th after which we will pick 10 photographs and 30 pieces of artwork to be placed in an upcoming release. Email us your photos and/or scanned artwork to HIcontest@herinteractive.com along with your name, phone number, email address, and permission to post your entry online, with the subject line "Nancy Drew Art Contest." If you need to mail us a physical copy of your artwork, please use the following address:

Be sure to also include your contact information with the artwork you submit. Any artwork sent through the postal system must be received by April 19th so make sure you mail in your entry early. Winners will be individually contacted upon completion of the contest. And while we won’t have room to announce all of the winners, you can bet we’ll display a selection of the winning submissions on the Amateur Sleuth blog.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

And so the real work begins. TOT spoilers have been effectively culled until April One, so I'll have to entice you with other offerings... perhaps the promise of a newsletter and a brand new contest will be enough to grab your attention. With any luck you'll be seeing them both by day's end tomorrow!

Check out the steps to solving puzzle 45 below:

-- Puzzle 45 Solution--
LATVUCAUVNNXF

The "house" was falsely reported to be "ablaze."

This one actually has very few steps. All you need to do is [decrypt the letters with a Vigenere cipher] using "house" [as the passphrase]. Doing so will give you the answer :
[Sonny Joon Rulz]

*As an aside the clue [falsely..."ablaze"] is a reference to [Blaise Vigenere being falsely attributed as the creator of the Vigenere cipher. ] The play is that [ the cipher is "a Blaise" (sounds like "ablaze") ]

--

I think we're all familiar with that message. But what bearing does it have on the future of Nancy Drew...? I'll leave that for you to ponder on. We'll have some awesome news tomorrow, so be sure to check back in!

Monday, March 15, 2010

It's not a bad one. In fact, it contains 200% more Vitamin D, direct from the best source. The spirit in the office reflects this. We've got projects bumping and moving and with GDC wrapped up and the managers back in the saddle, I'm expecting a lot of sudden meetings and last minute changes. Sometimes we get swept up in the techno-revolution (the future is [pretty much] right now.) Can you blame us?!

The puzzle was defeated. Quite soundly I might add. I'm pained to say it, but I think Designer Ben expected it to have a slightly longer lifespan. To you I'll offer a hearty, "Well done!" and I'll drop the blinds from it tomorrow. Today, I'm buried in the prospect of being buried...

So after a quick scramble on days yesterday, I realized I forgot to post the picture of the Week. You'll find the example below, in all its fuzzy glory.

Ever feel like you're being watched?

I also managed to grab our super talented writer, Nik, and asked him to give us the Blurb of the Week. This is what he had to say about this week:

"Well, I've just about put the finishing touches on the script for ND23 and it's going to be so awesome it'll literally blow the socks off your feet (through your shoes)! Also I'm pleased to announce that I fixed all my TOT bugs and let my bagels get moldy. Well I'm not pleased about the moldy bagels part, but all that happened this week..."

Thanks for the great quote Nik!

There's a puzzle headed this way tomorrow. Be sure to pop by and check it out!
Hasta luego!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

I've been working on more teaser material for TOT. Information is still on restriction around here. I imagine there's a special reason, but I suppose it could always be the politics of "timing." Either way I expect at least a small leak or something. I mean we know a newsletter is coming, but is it TOT related? Not even I've got the pulse on that one. Time to hit the beat once more to see what I can find...

Speaking of hard to find... info on last Friday's puzzle...

Sorry for the obfuscation (based on lack of confirmation,) but the puzzle was indeed solved (typo and all) by a some rather crafty sleuthers. I figured this puzzle would require at least one snazzy hint. Color me impressed. Although when I spoke with Designer Ben, he remarked that you all solved it differently than he intended. I'll have to get the full scoop tomorrow, along with a walk-through. I'll see ya then!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

I’ve been doing some more work with TOT (and some older games ^.~) and it has me thinking once again about how I play them. There’s something gratifying about accomplishing Nancy tasks, we’ll say like filing or perhaps organizing books. These task oriented puzzles signal a bit of a cheer from my brain when I’ve finished. “Congrats Novel, you’ve won the Bee’s Knees game. You deserve a cookie and a nap.” Now I may be the only one who has his own cheering squad, particularly for Nancy’s minor, and possibly mundane, hurdles, but this experience is very different from actually completing the game.

Often, by the time I’ve reached the confrontation scene, I’m so immersed in the story I forget I’m controlling it. I feel pride for Nancy at having caught the villain and end the nefarious scheme(s). I’m drawn back into the books, thinking that I have a passenger to Nancy’s journey, not actually driving. It is only when I’ve reached the meta-awards that I remember that I have been behind the wheel. I’ve been an unseen assistant, helping to shape the goal-at-hand. I think maybe this is the bigger accomplishment, to leave behind my ego and really step into this character’s shoes. To me, that is a true win.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Week two of March has started off strong. We’re working up to the release of TOT. Delays can be found in the most usual of places, the bug database. Though I believe in the long run, we’ll finish right on time, as always.

Spoilers continue to be absent from the site and various social media outlets. Blessed are the tiny nibbles that we can offer, which I assure you, we do so with absolute glee. You are ravenous for them, and we are delighted to provide. We both herald the oncoming feast that will be the TOT PR parade, though its arrival date still remains a mystery, even to those in the Departments of Marketing and Predictions. (note: the dept. of predictions is currently on sabbatical.) Still, I can promise, “soon.”

Thursday, March 4, 2010

You may recall a recent rant to record the ramblings of various other employees. Today is as good a day as any to start. So for the blurb of the week, here’s what it’s been like in the Quality Assurance department.

Quote courtesy of our QA Lead Nora:

“It’s an exciting time for us because we’re about to see all the info coming in from our beta tests. We’ll get to start analyzing and applying the results to see how well people received the game.”

When I asked her if I could say that it is a “fantastically busy time,” she suggested that fantastic may not be quite the superlative she’d use, and offered substitutes like absurdly or ridiculously. Either way it sounds like they’re hard at work on the next ND title. I can hardly wait!

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Boy howdy it is late! It has been a whirlwind of a day. So I'll just have to be short about it. I had a few minutes to lounge around midday. I was even able to catch a quick flick.

It isn't as risque as you might imagine. Mostly a lot of clarification on how they classify violence in video games. As you know, many of our games fall in the "Mild Violence" category. Now I'm quite well-versed on exactly what that means. Though you'd be hard pressed to define it in a simple sentence. The ESRB is a crafty bunch, and their system is quite helpful in determining the strength of a game's content. Perhaps I'll divulge more on this on another day.

Puzzle update: Success was in the cards for this one. You all rocked this puzzle! Here are the solving steps:

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Writing is very awesome. Well, I think it is. Today has been a writing day. (though secretly most are ^.^) I've been doing some preliminary work on blog topics and March's newsletter (nowhere near complete.) As well as few other projects we've got hidden backstage.

The real one I'd like to poke at for today's blog is the TOT tagline. I'm sure you all are familiar with at least a few of our games taglines. Currently I'm having to create a placeholder one that may appear in some ads, so it needs to be fairly close to the real deal. This process is all about creating a short line that evokes the emotion of the game, along with some information about its content. There's a lot of brainstorming and just writing lines. I probably don't have the most award-winning technique, but guess-and-check works for me. If you've ever seen a picture of a disheveled young writer crouched over a type writer with veritable civilizations of crumpled paper rising up around him... that's me today. Only in a digital sense.

I'm still looking for the right combination of words to make do for the time being. It just has to be snappier than fake one I've been slinging around the office in previous months.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Mondays are when the bees return to the hive. The weekend spent in exploration and discovery. We're ready to return and make the honey. Fresh and sweet for everyone to enjoy.

I've been thinking about voice lately. Written voice that is. I post about the things I do and see, but I thought it might be fun to hear (briefly) from a few of the other employees. As everyone is pretty busy, I was thinking of grabbing a small snapshot, like a quote or two, for some of our more energetic workers and sharing them with you. I haven't exactly decided how this is going to work out, but I think it might be nice to give you all a bit more perspective of the HI work-style. Now I've just got to get out there with my notepad and press badge. Who knows what I'll dig up!

While it looks very much like you've solved the weekend puzzle... I must unfortunately report that this is not actually the case. o.O It does mean that you're resting on the cusp of truth. I'm certain that you can discover the answer without guidance. Fantastic job so far, only inches to go!